The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1887-06-01
IN EXILE IN SIBERIA.
Some Particulars OF Itussia's Great
Methods OF Disposing or OBJ
.jcctionablo Pcrsons.

But few of tho exlles ever attain to
the possession Of ''house," by which
is meant u miserable hut. Most Of
them are in reality the bondsmen Of
the Siberian peasants, by whom they
are hired; that is to say, they remain
in their debt as long as thoy live, ana
arc satisfied when they can get money
for drinking on holidays from tiioir
masters. But as the majority Of the
exiles arc rogues and vagabonds by
profession, who are afraid of work,
tho number Of fugitives is constantly
increasing, who steal, rob and plumber
whatever chance offers, and thus in.
tensify the natural antipathy Of tho
settler against the class Of the depor-
Ted. Tho peasants have every cause
to no incensed against them, for. be.
sides suffering from the malpractlces
Of the convict class, they have to bear
the cost OF the erection and preserva-
tion Of prisons for the exiles, organize
hnts for the capture Of runaways, pro-
vide guards for them and find the taxes
which cannot bo raised from among
tho deported class. But the greatest
gaps in the ranks Of the exiles are
caused by the almost systematic escape
Of the latter from forced labor and
from the convict settlements. Not
less than Is per cent. Of the deported
escape during transport. Many of
them are shot down like wild beasts l,y
tho peasants and natives. and an Oh.
server OF Siberian life made very true
remark when he said that Siberia
would scarcely have been able to over
power the runaway exiles If the peas
ants had not annlhilated them.
The most extreme measures to check
the system Of escape arc the hunts by
the natives, organized by the Russian
Government. The native receives three
rubles If he delivers the prisoner, 'dead
or alive" to the authorities. The REQ
|vple are provided with good arms and
ammunition, SO as to make hunting
the escaped prisoners success One
Of those few who managed to escape
was seized in his native village, and
when brought before the court he said:
|s:.Eor two years have wandered about.
have swan through liver and seas,
have crossed Siberian forests, passed
through steppes and mountains-and
no one has touched me, neither man
nor beast, but here, in my native vii.
ago, have been seized and cast into
chains" The escape from forced
labor had become so common that the
administrators Of convict establish.
ments were in the habit Of calling out
when receiving prisoners: whoever
wishes TO stay let him take clothes; he
who wants to run away will not need
them" 1t should be observed that
the clothes left behind by escaped con.
victs, so to guard against capture, are
the perQusites Of the prison authori-
ties.
While the statistics show an incred-
ible increase in tho number of crimes
committed by cxiles, proving the cflci-
ency Of the system Of deportation as q
corrective Golusion, they are equally
condemnatory OF its much-vaunted
cheapness to the state. The cost Of
transport of Siberian deporter is es-
timated at fifty rubles (S37.h0). But
in this estimate are not included the
cost of transport to the man route
(steamers on the Volga and Kama).
and thence to the place Of destination,
the maintenance Of his family. IL he is
accompanied by it, the maintainance
in prison till tho spring, as transports
In winter have been abolished, as we'll
as the cost Of the military guard. so
that the expense Of transport for each
convict to hls place Of destination
amount to above 800 rnbles (5225). a
sum which would be sufficient to keen
him at least four years in the dearest
prison of European Russia. But this
sum Is raised to 800 rubles ($6OO) by
the expense Of attaching to the main.
tenance Of etappe routes. escorts, pris-
ons along the routes and ctappe houses.
African Natives as Traders
Along the northeast Of Africa, south